Wine cask restraining accessory

ABSTRACT

A wine cask accessory comprising a shaped plate (1) having a pair of depending leg portions (2,3) disposed on either side of the shaped opening (4) having an innermost portion (5) which is shaped to receive the most common sizes of wine cask valve (V), the leg portions (2,3) on the opening (4) being dimensioned such that the leg portions project below the bottom of the wine cask (C) when the opening portion (5) is engaged with the valve (V) of the wine cask. The plate (1) may be formed with a crown sealed bottle opener (15, 16), a twist-off bottle cap opener (20, 21, 22), a can opener (12,13), a screw-top cap opener (17, 18, 19), a cork screw (23,24) and a plastic bottle cap remover (27, 28). The accessory functions to prevent displacement of the cask valve (V) inwardly of the container in use and the leg portions (2,3) engage the edge of a supporting surface to prevent movement of the cask with respect to the supporting surface.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to restraining accessories for use with winecasks and other "bag-in-box" packages having a dispensing valve whichprojects through an opening in an outer container.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Wine casks, and particularly large wine casks, occasionally develop aproblem in which the valve is displaced inwardly of the container inuse. This often occurs after a cask has been in a refrigerator for along period, thereby softening the cardboard surrounding the valve.

It is also sometimes difficult to restrain a cask on a table top whilethe valve is actuated since one hand must hold the glass to be filledwhile the other hand must be used to acutate the valve. This difficultyoften results in the cask slipping inwardly of the table edge therebyresulting in inconvenient spillages.

While Australian Patent Application AU-A51077/85 overcomes the firstmentioned problem, it does not overcome the second mentioned problem.Other cask clamping plates for use with wine cask coolers, for exampleas shown in Australian Registered Design 92558, also overcome the firstmentioned problem but do not overcome the second mentioned problem.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION AND OBJECTS

It is an object of the present invention to provide a wine caskaccessory which overcomes or ameliorates the second mentioned problem.

The invention accordingly provides a device for restraining a wine caskor the like having a dispensing valve projecting through an opening inan outer container, said device having a portion or portions whichextend below the bottom of the outer container when the device is inuse, whereby the portions may engage the edge of a supporting surface toprevent movement of the cask with respect to the supporting surface.

The device preferably has a further portion which in use engages thedispensing valve of the cask to inhibit withdrawal of said valve intosaid outer container, said further portion being positioned such thatsaid portion(s) extend below the bottom of said outer container whenengaged with said dispensing valve.

In one form the device comprises a substantially flat plate having anopening dimensioned to receive the valve of the cask whereby portions ofthe plate around the opening engage behind the valve in use, said platebeing shaped to provide said portions which extend below the bottom ofsaid outer container when said opening is aligned with said valve.

In its simplest form, the flat plate may be generally rectangular inshape and has an elongate generally rectangular opening formed centrallytherein, said rectangular opening having a depth such that when theplate engages behind the dispensing valve, portions of the plate oneither side of the opening extend below the bottom of the cask to enableengagement between such portions and the edge of a supporting surface.

In a preferred form of the invention, the flat plate is formed withmeans for opening crown seal bottle caps, and for opening twist-offbottle caps and may also support a cork screw as well as a device foropening and closing screw caps.

While it is presently intended that the device be used as an accessoryfor use with wine casks and the like, it should be appreciated that theinvention is equally applicable to devices which form part of or areattached to or inserted in the outer container of the cask.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A presently preferred form of the invention will now be described withreference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of an accessory embodying the invention, and

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the accessory in use restraining a winecask.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring firstly to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the cask accessoryembodying the invention will be seen to comprise a shaped plate 1 havinga pair of depending leg portions 2,3 disposed on either side of a shapedopening 4 having an innermost portion 5 which is shaped to receive themost common sizes of wine cask valve, which are shown in broken outlinein FIG. 1 of the drawings. Thus, the opening 4 includes parallel sideportions 6 and 7 which extend to points 8 and 9 from which the innerportion 5 extends inwardly to an arcuate end portion 10 having adiameter smaller than the distances between the side portions 6 and 7.

The dimensions of the opening 4, and the consequential dimensions of theleg portions 2 and 3 are such that when the plate 1 engages a valve V ofa wine cask C (see FIG. 2), the leg portions 2 and 3 extend below thebottom B of the wine cask C whereby the leg portions 2 and 3 may engagethe edge E of a supporting surface S on which the wine cask C issupported.

To provide the plate 1 with the required depth to positively engage theneck N of the wine cask valve V, the plate 1 is formed with transverselyextending indentations 11, which will be most clearly seen in FIG. 2 ofthe drawings. In the present embodiment, the plate 1 may be press formedinto the shape shown from sheet metal, although the accessory mayequally well be molded from a plastics material of suitable hardness.

To maximize the functions performed by the accessory embodying theinvention, the plate 1 is shaped at its upper end to provide a canopener 12 having the usual tongue 13 for engaging under the rim of thecan during the end puncturing operation. Immediately below the canopener 12, a crown seal opener 14 comprising an opening 15 and aprojecting lug 16 for engaging under the edge of the crown seal isformed in the plate 1.

In each leg 2,3 there is respectively formed a screw top opener 17comprising an opening 18 and a screw top engaging lug 19, and a twisttop opener 20 comprising an opening 21 having a series of closely spacedinwardly projecting undulating ribs 22 which are dimensioned to engagethe indentations formed in a twist top seal.

In addition to the above, the plate 1 is formed with an opening 23adapted to receive a cork screw (not shown) which is anchored in acircular opening 24 formed adjacent the end of the elongate opening 23.

The plate 1 is also formed with indentations 25,26 in either side of theplate to provide convenient finger grips for the installation of theaccessory onto the wine cask valve V. The opening 4 is also formed withpointed extensions 27,28 which may be used to open plastic screw tops onplastic softdrink bottles.

While the shape of the plate 1 shown in the drawings is currentlypreferred, it will be appreciated that this shape is dictated largely bythe numerous functions the accessory is intended to perform. Thus, ifthe accessory were to be manufactured to perform only the wine caskrestraining function described above, a generally rectangular platehaving a generally rectangular central opening, or an opening similar tothe opening 4 described above, would be adequate for the intendedpurpose. Similarly, where the plate is not manufactured from pressedmetal, it may conveniently be molded from plastics having a depthsuitable to positively engage the wine cask valve V in the manner shownin FIG. 2 of the drawings.

While the preferred embodiment has been described as being constitutedby a separate accessory which at least performs the wine caskrestraining function described, it should be appreciated that theinvention is equally applicable to a means integrally formed with theouter container of the wine cask or the like to perform thecask-restraining function described above. In such circumstances, theinvention may be realized by the formation of tabs extending from oneedge of either the side or bottom panel defining the outer container ofthe wine cask and of sufficient dimensions to engage a supportingsurface for the wine cask. Alternatively, the invention may be realizedby means of a cardboard panel mounted within the outer container of thewine cask and slidably engaging an opening between the side and endpanels defining the outer container in a manner which enables the panelto be exposed beyond the lower edge of the bottom of the outer containerto engage the edge of a supporting surface. In this arrangement, thepanel may be suitable formed to additionally engage the valve of thewine cask in a manner similar to that described above to preventwithdrawal of the valve when the panel is in the operative positionpreventing movement of the cask relative to the supporting surface.

I claim:
 1. In combination, a restraining device and a liquid containingcask including an outer container and an inner liquid containing memberhaving a dispensing valve which in use projects through an opening insaid outer container, said restraining device having a first portionformed with means which in use engages the dispensing valve of said caskto inhibit withdrawal of said valve into said outer container, and oneor more second portions which extend from said first portion and havingdimensions which in use position said second portion or portions belowthe bottom of the outer container when said first portion is engagedwith said dispensing valve, whereby said second portion or portions canengage the edge of a supporting surface for the bottom of the outercontainer to prevent movement of the cask with respect to the supportingsurface in at least one direction.
 2. The combination of claim 1,wherein said first and second portions are formed as part of a platehaving an opening dimensioned to receive the valve of a cask wherebyportions of said plate around said opening engage behind the valve, saidplate being shaped to provide said second portions which extend belowthe bottom of said outer container when said opening is aligned withsaid valve.
 3. The combination of claim 2, wherein said plate is formedwith a central elongate generally rectangular opening dimensioned toengage either side of the dispensing valve of a cask.
 4. The combinationof claim 3, wherein said opening has an arcuate inner end having adiameter less than the width of the opening whereby said inner end isable to engage a cask valve of smaller diameter than the width of theopening.
 5. The combination of claim 2, wherein said plate is formedwith means selected from one of means for opening crown seal bottlecaps, means for opening twist-off bottle caps, means for puncturing theends of cans, means for removing crown seals, means for removing corksfrom bottles, and means for removing caps from plastic bottles.
 6. Thecombination of claim 5, wherein said device is fabricated from die-cutand pressed sheet metal, said device being formed with transverselyextending indented portions in the region of the device which engagesbehind the valve of the cask.
 7. A cask restraining device for use witha liquid container cask having an outer container and an inner liquidcontainer means having a dispensing valve projecting through an openingin said outer container, said restraining device comprising asubstantially rigid plate formed with generally rectangular openingdimensioned such that said plate in use engages behind the valve of saidcask, a pair of leg portions on either side of said opening eachdimensioned to extend below the bottom of the outer container of thecask when said plate is engage behind said valve, said opening having anarcuate inner end having a diameter less than the width of the openingwhereby said inner end is able to engage a cask valve of smallerdiameter than the width of the opening.
 8. The device of claim 7,wherein said plate is formed with means selected from one of means foropening crown seal bottle caps, means for opening twist-off bottle caps,means for puncturing the ends of cans, means for removing crown seals,means for removing corks from bottles, and means for removing caps fromplastic bottles.